From the horse's mouth....

I found this in my inbox today, and it is being published here with the writer's permission.

"I know that you all know this stuff, but I just need to write this out and have people be as sickened as I am.

Had a visit at the birth center yesterday from a friend who is a CNM and she brought 6 of her RN students with her to talk about normal birth. I made sure the conversation included the why's of the current OB climate in most hospitals.

The visiting CNM brought up a very recent OB section meeting at the hospital where she is employed. The discussion centered around the hospital's attempt to decrease their high induction and C/sec rates. Most of the physicians complained about the effect these changes would have on their schedules and the fact that they would be doing more C/sec at 2 AM if they weren't allowed to do them at 38 weeks. And the induction at 38 weeks helped them to fit in their surgical schedules which also bring quite a bit of revenue into the hospital. The OB clinical managers talked about how they need to have the inductions and C/sec scheduled so they can keep tighter control on their budgets because they can be more cost efficient with staff assignments and minimize on-call time.

J., the CNM, was just amazed that not even once did the welfare of the mom and/or baby enter into the discussion.

Personally my attempts not to become cynical are very quickly biting the dust. Sick, just sick! And women have no idea that their birth experience is the least of the hospital's concerns.

Linda Johnson, CNM
www.mothersownbirth.com"

I know a girl who had an induction last week on her due date. The reason given? She was told because she had gained too much weight during her pregnancy. I've not heard the outcome yet, but I won't be surprised to hear if it was an "emergency" cesarean.

I know another girl who's sister had a scheduled repeat cesarean last week at 38 weeks, 0 days. The reason given? The baby was too big. Wanna know how much the baby weighed at birth? SIX pounds, ZERO ounces. The doctor was quoted as being "shocked" the little boy was so tiny.

There are moms contacting me every single week, at least two or three of them, who have found my name on the ICAN website. They are desperate to avoid another cesarean, many of them have learned that their first was for a bogus reason, and that drives them that much harder to find appropriate prenatal care. I know of moms who drive hours and hours back and forth for their prenatal care because the only "friendly" provider she could find was two hours away.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again here...I *never* in my wildest dreams would have imagined to be walking the path that I am right now. I never would have thought that women would be contacting ME of all people for information on how to avoid unnecessary surgery. I never would have imagined hearing all of the lies that women have been told, stories that fill my inbox almost daily. I never would have thought that I could be so supremely disgusted with such a large segment of the population...those who are trained and take an oath to do no harm...the feeling I get these days is that the do no harm applies to their schedule, their kid's recitals, their golf games, their "work hours", their bank accounts.

I used to work as a travel agent with crazy hours. I worked at least three Saturdays a month and well into the evening on most work days. When I complained to my manager about my hours and how I would prefer to work Monday-Friday from 9-5, she suggested I walk myself over to the doctor's office next door and apply for a job there where I would be guaranteed the hours I wanted. My point? If you didn't want to deal with malpractice insurance, if you never wanted to have the expectation of being alert for surgery in the middle of the night, if you never wanted to worry about being sued...maybe you chose the wrong career path.

Might I suggest the Myers Briggs or Occupational Outlook Handbook? I think I might just create a packet of information to send out to the local OB's who refuse to "first do no harm" to so many local women.

One last thought....what do you call the guy who was last in his class at medical school?

Doctor.